Martin Lesiba, a South African tour guide, has called on tourists across the globe to visit the Pilanesberg National Park in Northwest Province of the country as their choice destination for safari exploration.

Lesiba said this while he guided a group of tourists and journalists around the park  on Saturday.

According to him, the game reserve is known as the home for the “Big 5”-  Elephants, Rhinos, Lions, Buffaloes and Leopards.

The tour was an extension of the just-concluded  Africa’s Travel Indaba expo, to familiarise tourists with destination sites across the country.

The tour guide said the park remained  tourists’ delight because of its untamed African lanscape.

According to him, the park attracts huge number of local and international tourists due to its beautiful landscape, lush-green vegetation, man-made lake and other fauna and floral features.

He explained that tourists  were not allowed to walk through the park because of the wild animals, but could be explored in a 200 kilometre drive.

“This is the fourth largest park in South Africa, it was originally owned by four of the numerous local tribes in the Northwest Province.

“We have over 360 bird species and 7,000 animals in this park.

“Here, in South Africa, poaching is a great offence and it attracts 30 years imprisonment for whoever engages  in such ilegal activity,” he said.

Lesiba, who gave a brief history of the park, said it was named after a Tswana Chief, with the name “Pilane”.

According to him, the park also accommodates various medicinal plants and trees, among which is the buffalo thorn.

“The leaves and roots of the buffalo thorn are used medically and magically for pain relief,  respiratory complaints and skin infections.

“It is also used for chest and stomach disorder. The leaf, if crushed could be used to stop bleeding.

“Certain tribes here believe the tree is safe to use as shelter against lightning.

“Aside the buffalo thorn, we have lots of other plants which have therapeutic effects. Indeed nature is beautiful,” he said.

The tour was extended to Mphebatho Cultural Museum where the history of the Bakgatla-Ba-Kgafela people of the northwest province of South Africa was relayed.

In adventurous mood, tourists in quad-bikes moved through the Muruleng Leeto Kgolo villages, with some off-road experience and mountainous tarred roads.

There was also a stop at the first non-missionary school within the province.